Playa Nueva Umbría

About Playa Nueva Umbría

Playa de Nueva Umbría is the open Atlantic side of the Flecha de El Rompido, a sand spit about 12 km long that runs east from La Antilla in Lepe towards the mouth of the Río Piedras. It lies within the Paraje Natural Marismas del Río Piedras y Flecha de El Rompido, a 2,530-hectare protected area declared in 1989, with the sea on one side and the river's marshes on the other.

The spit is still growing, by roughly 30 to 40 metres a year, fed by river sediment, tides and wind. Dunes with sea holly and sea daffodils shelter chameleons, while oystercatchers, gulls and Kentish plovers work the shore. The golden sand is about 50 metres wide, waves are moderate and nudism is officially accepted.

You can walk along the shore from La Antilla, cross the bridge over the Caño del Fraile from the main road, where a small car park and boardwalks lead through the dunes, or take the short boat from El Rompido, which runs most often from April to October. Services are minimal, so bring shade, water and food.

May, June and September give warm sand and few people. Come early, as parking is limited, and take a return boat near sunset.

Playa Nueva Umbría in pictures

What you’ll find

• Sea shoreSwimmingFree

Nearby places to visit

Walk west along the sand and you reach Playa La Antilla (500 m), Lepe's resort beach, with a promenade and the cafés and restaurants that Nueva Umbría lacks. Across the Río Piedras on the Cartaya side, Golf El Rompido (4 km) is the nearest course, and Playa El Rompido (5 km) lies by the fishing village from which boats cross to the spit. Further west, the resort of Islantilla, shared by Lepe and Isla Cristina, has Islantilla Beach Golf Resort (5 km) and the long resort beach of Playa Islantilla (6 km). Combining a wild morning here with an afternoon in La Antilla works well.